The equipment is important, sure.
What hasn't been mentioned is the operator, or physical plant, so I'll touch on that.
I ran a Gerber 4'x8' table for years...good solid machine, rather overpriced, like all Gerber stuff!
some points......
space: you don't just need room to walk around it, you need good access to feed sheets on and off in both directions.
noise: the router screams, and the vacuum, coolant, compressor, dust collection all add up to a lot of decibels, and vibration. Pretty sure I have hearing loss, even though I wore earplugs and muffs overtop. If it's running for hours each day, you can drive the other people in the building crazy!
operator: all these devices have their learning curve, and quirks. The operator(s) who become proficient need to be compensated. You end up saving money in training, ruined jobs, and equipment damage. It's best if the router operator is involved, or actually 'sets up' the job in the cut program, so they can use, select & adapt, for the bits and toolpath that work best for each material.
dust/waste etc: the area needs to be well ventilated. Materials cut best in certain temps, and create fumes that may be objectionable if circulated thru the HVAC system.
Table: we did not have vacuum hold-down. It works with adhesive etc, but obviously that adds time, material, cost to the job. For cutting small letters and shapes, I'm not sure that vacuum alone is adequate.
We did a few jobs over 12'+ long by moving and re-setting the second panel of the job. Not impossible, but requires the operator and designer have their heads in the game....lots of time planning and designing to address all the possible problems.
good luck in your new adventure!
